Monday, July 17, 2017

Doctor Who: A Fond Farewell

*photo from internet

Now
that the BBC and Chris Chibnall has unveiled the new Doctor to be
very female and gorgeous in the person of Jodi Whitaker, comes the
question for true blue Whovians as to whether a female Doctor (as in
Doctor Who, for those not cognizant with the brevity) is going to
sink in at all.

We
get the clamor for female-power taking precedence but I have always
seen the female-equality crisis as a male problem. By this I mean,
there is a rise in feminism because there are not enough men in the
world that rightfully respect women for who they are; however this
dilemma cannot be solved by replacing men with women in positions
where males ought to be and that includes the Doctor in Doctor Who.

I
have remained an avid fan since 2007 and have appreciated The Doctor
for who he was, an affable, adventurous and capable friend every time
I either binge watch or see him every Sunday evening. He was this
dependable male role model whom I could count on to take me through
the dregs or the apogee of space and time travel battling all sorts
of malevolence in various interplanetary species and celebrating the
good ones as well. He was fatherly when older, avuncular when
middle-aged and a dish to crush on when young and agile. The Doctor
respected and hailed women as his equal, as his good friend,
granddaughter, daughter, wife, companion, queen, prime minister, love
interest, co-warrior and inspiration and at times nemesis, so why
replace the man? His persona was not emblematic of misogyny in the
pop-culture world at all, in fact it was one that actually made an
ideal example on how gratifying a male and female relationship can
be. This move by the new team behind Doctor Who saw a problem and
elected to solve it where there was none to deal with. The backlash
for this decision in turn has created a discord instead of a
statement and a disconnect instead of bridge.

Moreover,
the TV show in my eyes was a place where distressing religious wars,
grimy geopolitical personages or conflicts or PC dictatorships could
not permeate through, exactly because of its otherworldly theme. It
was truly the last frontier of escapism where the exploits in the
episodes did not require logic or responsibility as what imagination
should be in this world where realities are more rancorous by the
day. With the announcement of a female as the new doctor, we close
this book of a dream world unmolested by propaganda. No disrespect to
Jodi Whitaker, a fine specimen of an actress indeed but this a
misplacement for her. We are not afraid of her gender, The Doctor
quite simply is male that's all there is to it. Just like a “Wonder
Man” is not necessary in lieu of Wonder Woman herself.

The
new show runner Chris Chibnall of the “Broadchurch” fame does not
understand the Who universe or the fans clearly. A questionable trail
follows him as a creator who has bled “Broadchurch” (which had
the prospect of becoming a true cult classic the likes of “Twin
Peaks,”) bone dry, replacing value with bankroll as was the case of
Broadchurch's US version, the disgraceful “Gracepoint.” This man
clearly does not have the heart, just the bottom line, the very thing
that robs devotees of that which is unique and endearing about
something they love like Doctor Who. For certain it is an end of the
Doctor Who world as we know it and that sincerely has nothing to do
with female-phobia or male chauvinism or any other sort of “phobia”
or “ism” that will be pegged on to those who will find this move
disagreeable. I won't even hypothesize about the future, an
iconoclastic deed has been done which is irreparable to a steadfast
icon. There is no rectifying that.

Suffice
it to say, it's end of the line for many of us, the ones that will
take over as fans will embrace something that is not even remotely
connected to the prototypal, beloved character that has provided a
fantastic diversion from our real lives. As for me, perhaps it's time
I grow up anyway, holding on to an ideal doesn't pay. Allegorically
speaking, the eleventh hour has rung and this is what's left for me
to do. I will hijack the TARDIS, set it up to travel to Transelore,
the place where we all know our time lord dies and where The Doctor
embodied by Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, Baker (Tom), Davison, Baker
(Colin), McCoy, McGann, Ecclestone, Tennant, Smith and Capaldi, sits
to face his demise, I will hold the hand of this beautiful mad man
with a blue box, I will thank him for the fun ride all these years
and I will see him to his end and now is that time. RIP Doctor.